Group claims gas station is polluting the air

Some people in Albuquerque claim Smith's gas stations are pumping pollutants into the air. The group was able to get results at one station. Now they're going after another station.

Back in March residents living near the Smith gas station at Constitution and Carlisle made the station pump less gas by claiming the station posed a health hazard.

Now they are claiming the Smith gas station at Central and Tramway is doing the same thing.

"It's about a big corporation cramming down our throats and an unsafe gas station," said community activist Pat Toledo. "We want people to have access to the information so they can judge for themselves whether they want 40 tons of cancer causing VOC's in their neighborhood."

Toledo isn't trying to shut down the gas station. He says he's fighting to reduce the amount of gas being pumped out.

Right now the station has a permit to pump five million gallons of gas a year. Toledo and other residents want that limited to 3.3 million gallons. Toledo says they succeeded on the first gas station and he thinks they can do it again.

"We think this station same thing applies and we think our air quality board will do the same thing and revoke their permit here," said Toledo.

An attorney for Smith's had no comment when KOB Eyewitness News 4 reached him. The Air Quality Board is scheduling a hearing on this issue at their meeting Wednesday night.